Slavi Waltz/Viennese Waltz - Cecile

Waltz

Use breathing to help the concept of weight.

- When up and stretching: Inhale

- When going down: Exhale (start exhaling a little before going down to initiate the movement)

On the natural turn: Man should release the hip forward when the foot passes on 1, and go "underneath" the lady

Same foot lunge: Exhale and take your time, then go faster on the next part.

Back Check: Leave the right foot back. First internalize/suck stomach in, before releasing to stretch and create the line of the back check. Then roll onto the ball of the foot to go into the pivots.

Double lock: On the second lock, man should create the shape by leading with the hips. Also turn head towards the lady. Man shouldn't turn more to the left on the second lock to face the line of dance, but on the contrary more to the right facing the wall.

Tumble turn: Review man's footwork (should step forward instead of lock back). Lady: Left foot forward, then right foot forward: turn to the left but only with the hips and continue this rotation when stepping back with left foot. Should have the feeling to be quite forward and rolling on top of the man.

Throwaway oversway: Do not pick up the left foot. In order to do that: When the weight is on the left foot before the TO, really plant the weight and rotate almost completely the upper body (shoulders) to close. Then step with the right foot and plant the weight again. THe left foot should simply follow while staying on the floor.

Ronde: Exhale while going down + there was something Thomas did that made it really easy to walk around at the end. (?)

Viennese Waltz

Natural turn: On the forward part, start with torso rotated diagonal center, then while lowering rotate the torso until it faces straight line of dance (this is more rotation that I would usually do) and finish about diagonal to the wall. Do the pendulum with the left arm to help find the right action. "Pick up the apple" at the end.

Reverse turn: On the backward step on 1, resist the temptation to turn, stay very much to the left and don't turn in front of the man until the next step. Normally this should be led by the man and the lady shouldn;t worry about anything.

Change step: Preference seems to be to change forward after natural turn, and backward after reverse. THe lady shouldn't even be aware that a change is happening, it should flow naturally.

There shouldn't be any "jumping", because there shouldn't be any turning. If you eliminate the turning, the jumping goes away.

Exercise

Stretch inside shoulder/pectoral muscle (hold on to pillar and stretch arm back, shoulder down).

Slavi Lesson 01/05/10 Waltz + VW

Waltz

Beginning, *heel* lead out of prep step, and then just take longer (thinking hip forward to stay under)
Sway->oversway->same foot (this part as usual just want to stay there longer...yes does mean need to speed up the next part)
The check, rise on your right leg, and then take hip back to take left leg back, the settle and rotate on it.
Double lock--second one use hips much more.
Tumble turn, cross forward and then rise a lil more instead of using hands to turn girl.
Chasse into right lunge--shape has been wrong, don't take girl to your left side but keep to right side through out.
The rudolph/ronde, breathe as you do the *drop* part


VW
On the reverse turns, so just mindful of not rotating too soon, keep right shoulder stretched and way back (the holding on to a pillar and stretch thing)
On natural turns, sink much more into the left leg before going. Also notice even though step is side ways, unlike reverse turns don't try to keep left hand back.

Slavi lesson 11/16/09 Viennese & Quickstep

Flekrels

First on all reverse turns, use lower leg more to give follow a clearer signal.
Then to initiate flekrel, instead of going forward, go side.

Reverse turns--stay left.
Natural turns--stay right.

Contracheck exit--don't turn with upper body, just go straight back, then use right leg to give the girl lead for "mini" ronde. It is ok to drop as you're doing this.

Then final exit, go straight like your waltz beginning natural turn, then again don't turn/rotate, go straight back.


Quickstep
* changed intro, enter back line of dance
* emphasize sloows
* changed the woodpecker to emphasize standing leg

11/03/09 Slavi lesson

Waltz (and other dances)

Chasse on 2nd way, take two steps forward (left [prev step]->right->left strongly forward still, side ways-ish) then stay/project forward as you go backwards.

Don't overturn step before contracheck.

Usage of head...only go where the body stretches. Apply e.g. on natural turn.

Foxtrot

Same principle, but note especially on
* feather finish (body should be over left leg, before too back weighted/stretching leg out), and 3 step, just hip forward, and use the lower body to create the look of the stretch.



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other stuff realized at practice
* viennese fleckrels use weight
* tango rock spin turn entrace rotate left side strongly

Viennese Waltz - Wolfgang Opitz

Timing: Orchestra playing "quick quick" slow (the first two beats are closer together)

Rise at the end of 1 / beginning of 2; using hip bone

Moving side, the close always happens late, later than in Waltz

Man's right arm stays with lady, when moving forward and backward

Small step on one

Two circles moving around each other (not one circle)

Champion left hand hold, in the middle

Triangle between right hip right elbow

Left elbow has to be in the middle

TOT (tits over toes) lady when moving forward in the reverse turn